AN1: So the original incarnation of this fic (not counting author's notes) was 46k words long. This fic, as of last chapter, was 49k! Now we are at 55k not counting my extremely wordy author's notes and review responses (making this my longest fanfic to date). We are probably about halfway through, but there are some scenes coming that were certainly not in the original, and the end is going to surprise you even if you read the original and everything else I've ever written. With that said, here is the much-anticipated meeting of Haruka and Michiru!

Chapter 10: Breaking Point

January 26, 8983

"I was not expecting this." Haruka found herself in a garden filled with bushes covered in red roses, intricate stone paths wandering between the carefully-tended plants that thrived in the warm sunlight overhead. Serenity seemed at ease in the garden, but her child-like carefree abandon could not banish her guardian's concern. She noticed a cluster of buildings on a hill nearby, but the construction style was alien to her. One hand on her sword, emerald eyes scanning intently for danger, Haruka followed Serenity as the princess skipped through the flowers. "Where are you going, Princess?"

"He has to be here. Oh, there he is! Endymion!"

Serenity lifted her skirt and took off across the field, running much faster than Haruka would have believed possible in a dress. Cursing, the princess of Uranus dashed after her, eyes narrowing as she spotted the princess's target. Alone on a bench in the center of the rose garden, a tall man with black hair stared dreamily into the pale blue sky, a single red rose in his hand. Calling on the power of her element, Haruka sped past the princess, coming to a halt mere feet from the strange man, sword in front of her and a squirming princess held forcefully behind her. "Who are you?"

The man stood, shocked blue eyes taking in Serenity's presence before returning to the blonde warrior threatening him. Placing one hand on his own sword, the man drew himself up to his full and regal height. From the richness of his armor, it was obvious that he was nobility, but not of any planet Haruka had ever visited. Before the man could even speak, the Uranian turned her gaze upwards, eyes widening in shock. There, alone in the clear blue sky, hung the Moon she had been standing on just moments before. The sunlight here was real, not created by artificial weather systems, and only one world in the entire system could boast that distinction. "I am Prince Endymion of Earth."

Haruka whirled to face her princess, quickly sheathing her sword as she decided that the Earthling could not possibly pose a threat to her charge. "Earth," she growled, fury in her stance. "This place is forbidden! Serenity, you should not have come here."

"That's what I keep telling her," Endymion sighed, stepping forward to stand beside Haruka, facing Serenity. "I told you not to return."

"You told me not to return alone," Serenity replied, slipping free of Haruka's grip. "You said it would be too dangerous for me to come to the Earth without one of my guards. But see, I brought a protector with me, so it's alright for me to be here. Endymion, this is Haruka, Princess and senshi of Uranus."

Endymion raised one eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back slightly. His dark cape fluttered in the breeze meandering through his rose garden as he raked his eyes across the blonde woman dressed in the finery of a Uranian duke. "Princess? Serenity, I might have to disagree with you on that."

Haruka grinned and drew her sword again, running one long finger contemplatively across the glowing metal. "I heard that Earthlings have green blood. Shall we test that theory, Prince Endymion?"

Serenity placed one hand on Haruka's chest and the other on Endymion's, pushing the two away from each other as the dark-haired prince reached for his own sword. "Boys, please don't fight. I don't have much time here and I can't spend it keeping you from killing each other."

"You certainly aren't spending it with him," Haruka replied, pulling the princess behind her again. "We should not have come here, Princess. It's my duty to protect you from all threats, and he certainly qualifies as one."

"You took a vow to protect me," Serenity whispered, hands wrapped around Haruka's sword arm in case she had to pull the Uranian back from attacking her prince once more. "Don't you think that includes protecting my heart from being broken?"

Haruka sheathed her sword again and turned to the girl hanging from her arm, suddenly remembering how young and innocent the princess actually was. "Your heart?"

"I'm in love with Endymion, and if you make me leave my heart will break. Could you really hurt me like that?"

Haruka furrowed her eyebrows, turning away from those sad blue eyes. "Of course not," she whispered. "But you're fourteen years old; how can you possibly know that you love him enough to defy your mother's law against traveling to this world?"

"In the case of soul mates, you know right away. Do you think Rei and Minako would not have known their destiny if they had met four years earlier? Trust me, Haruka, they would have known. They are soul mates, destined to be together, and their love is no different than mine, even though I am younger."

Haruka turned to the Earth Prince, some of the distrust in her emerald eyes gone. "Do you love my princess as much as she loves you?"

Endymion nodded, his stormy blue eyes meeting Serenity's lighter ones. "I love her enough to have told her multiple times that it isn't safe for her to come here."

"Not safe? How?" Haruka reluctantly released her princess into Endymion's arms, watching their interaction as she tried to determine if there was anything about the Earthling that should concern her.

"People of the Moon have never been terribly popular here. I don't want her to get hurt, especially since she insists on coming alone."

Haruka shrugged as she stepped away from the pair, reaching down to run her fingers across the petals of one of Endymion's roses. Most of the bushes in his garden sprouted red roses, but the petals under Haruka's fingers were pink. "It is strange to hear an Earth Prince worry about my princess as much as her own senshi do. I suppose . . . I am her Protector, right? As long as I am with her, it will be alright for her to visit you, Prince Endymion."

Serenity smiled as Endymion wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head. "It's never going to be safe for you to come here, Serenity."

"I don't care. I just want to be with you. I trust you and Haruka to protect me."

Haruka let Serenity take her hand as the Moon Princess activated the transportation device Endymion had installed in the center of his rose garden. As the Earth vanished, the Uranian princess sighed. "Why did you choose me to guard you?"

"Do you really want to know, Haruka? I don't think you'll like the reason."

Haruka leaned against the wall in the small transporter chamber on the Moon, waving one hand for the princess to continue. Serenity stared down at her clasped hands, the roses Endymion had slipped into her buns threatening to fall. "I could have chosen any of the others, and they would have understood my feelings for Endymion immediately, but they weren't the ones who needed to see that today. I knew that one day you would come here, Haruka. Ever since I was a baby, I knew. But when I started to research the princess who had promised to protect me, I realized that you would be in pain when you finally arrived. After I found those communication logs over a year ago, I knew that you would be someone who had never known love, and as your princess I had to show you. I had to open your eyes."

Haruka clenched her fists, furious that her princess would choose her for her weakness, tears in her eyes as the truth of Serenity's words cut into her. "You chose me because I don't know love?" Her hands were shaking as she began to lose control of herself and her power. The wind she commanded gusted fitfully in the small space, as wild and confused as its princess.

"Haruka, please understand. You're a powerful warrior, and that's wonderful, but you have to be a senshi of love as well as justice. Everything that you have seen on the Moon and now on Earth is opening your eyes to that. Don't you want to be loved?"

"No!" Haruka stepped forward, tears streaming down her cheeks as a rage she had never before experienced filled her frame. "Why would I want that? What has love ever done for me? Shousha loved my mother years ago and because of that she suffers alone, without Kazeko, and punishes me for it! Rei and Minako are in love but one day the laws of this world will tear them apart!" She grabbed the empty air before her and threw her hands apart emphatically, the sudden gesture frightening the princess. "What good is your precious love for them, or for Ami and Makoto? They will suffer and die every moment of every day for the rest of their lives because they dared to love now. I don't want it! I don't want any of it!"

"Haruka!"

"Be silent!" Haruka reached out and grabbed Serenity's arm with one hand, her grip tight enough to cause bruises, but she was too far gone in her rage to care. Martians were warriors of passion, their anger rising and falling quickly, but Uranians were warriors of patience. Their rage could build for years before they finally snapped, and the worlds were said to tremble when the Uranian Senshi lost her temper. Serenity realized with a terrible certainty that she had finally pushed Haruka too far.

"Where are we going?" She couldn't help but ask the question as Haruka dragged her out of the transporter room and its empty wing of the palace, the wind all but forcing her to follow the swift senshi.

"Back to your guardians," Haruka growled, her free hand resting on the hilt of her sword. "I'll have nothing more to do with you."

They emerged from the palace moments later, the training ground empty of onlookers. Sometime in the past couple of hours, everyone had left the senshi alone to train in peace, and the destruction of the fields was evidence that they had learned a lot. Haruka strode up to the four senshi, all of them still transformed though they were sitting down and taking a break, murder in her eyes. Mars and Venus jumped to their feet, confusion in their eyes as they both assumed a cautionary defense stance, having no idea what could have infuriated their friend. Jupiter joined them, Mercury hanging back as she analyzed the situation.

"Take her from me." Haruka pushed Serenity to the ground behind her, the young princess too scared to move as the Uranian drew her sword. "If you want to be her guardians, if you think you are strong, then take your princess back."

Venus never hesitated. Summoning her chain, she swung at Haruka, grunting in surprise as the Uranian caught the glowing chain with her golden sword. Shaking her weapon mockingly, the blonde gestured for the senshi to attack her again. The flirtatious Haruka who had made a bet with Rei and Minako was gone, replaced by this cold, possibly insane, warrior of the skies. Mars had no idea what had happened to make the Uranian snap, but she knew what the consequences would be if they did not defeat her, and quickly. Summoning her bow, the Senshi of Flame jumped back to Mercury's position and fired, knowing that every arrow was perfectly on target. Haruka blocked the flaming arrows with the Space Sword, her speed even in civilian form more than a match for the Martian senshi.

Jupiter gathered her power, launching a series of thunderbolts at the blonde threatening her princess, all of them missing the agile warrior. Mercury also tried her attack, but Haruka avoided that as well. "You aren't trying," the Uranian growled, holding her sword before her as insanity danced in her darkening eyes. Wind gusted across the field, Mars and Venus glancing at each other as they tried to decide what to do. They had never before seen an enraged Uranian, but the stories they had heard frightened them, even more so because this was the senshi, with all of the powers of her planet and god.

Jupiter rushed the blonde, summoning her quarterstaff and imbuing it with her power. With a furious battle cry, her staff met Haruka's sword, lightning dancing between them. As the lightning reached for the Uranian, Haruka's form began to glow with her own dark golden power, a golden symbol appearing on her forehead as the wind struggled to push Jupiter away. Mars banished her bow and drew a pair of fiery swords, joining Jupiter in her assault on Haruka, Venus running in with her chain an instant later. Mercury used her power to freeze the ground around the warriors, struggling to control it so only Haruka's footing was impeded. "Snap out of it!" Mars growled, dancing away from Haruka's sword as she struggled to land a hit.

"You have to break this rage," Mercury called, her ice failing to slow the blonde warrior. "Uranians are considered the most fearsome warriors in the system because they keep so much of their wild fury contained. When they lose that control . . ."

Haruka laughed as she threw the trio of warriors off her with a burst of wind, the golden light from the symbol on her forehead spreading down to cover her body. An instant later, Sailor Uranus stood before the other senshi, her sword ready in her gloved hand.

Jupiter and Mercury stared at the woman in shock, everything they had seen over the past few days finally falling into place. "You're Haruka, the Princess of Uranus?"

"Haruka, please!" Serenity ran to stand in front of Uranus, tears in her eyes. "You don't want to fight them." Uranus raised her sword, eyes dark, pausing when Serenity placed a hand over the bow on her chest. "You promised to protect me," the princess whispered in Lunarian, smiling at the Senshi of the Skies. "Protect me from yourself."

Uranus fell to the ground as all of her strength vanished in an instant, the wind silent as she slowly sheathed her sword. "Just like that, huh?" The desperate insanity was gone from her voice, and her eyes, when she looked up at the hovering senshi, were just tired. "You could have snapped me out of that at any time. Why did you wait?"

"You didn't seem very eager to reveal your true self to the other senshi," Serenity whispered, kneeling on the ground beside Haruka and resting a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I know that you didn't really mean what you said in the palace."

"I meant it," Uranus whispered, watching as the four senshi sat down on the grass beside her, supporting her despite the battle they had just fought. "Their love will bring them pain for the rest of their lives. Why would I want that?"

"Why wouldn't you?" Mars reached out and took Uranus's hand in hers, amethyst eyes full of compassion. "After what you said to me about fighting for the one I love, you can't be ready to give up on that now."

"You love her and you have her now, but what about later?"

"What about later?" Venus echoed Uranus's words, but her tone was lighter, almost teasing. "So what if we can't stay together forever? We'll have each other for as long as possible in this life, then we'll meet again in the next life. Just because there are going to be hardships doesn't mean we should give up on finding our soul mate. If anything, knowing that one day we will be separated gives us a reason to treasure every moment we have together now. I love Rei, Haruka, more than I thought I could. I would never give up this time I have with her just because I know that it will end. You can't be afraid of love just because you are well-acquainted with loss."

"From one warrior to another," Jupiter whispered conspiratorially, "love is not any kind of weakness. After what you did to help me and Ami, after what you did to help Minako and Rei, you can't still believe that love makes us weak."

Serenity bit her lip anxiously, looking around at her senshi. "Do you forgive her for deceiving you? She came here to hide from her father."

Mercury grabbed Uranus's free hand, smiling as the older woman looked up at her. "Of course we forgive you. I guessed that you were hiding something as soon as we met, but I never thought it would be this. Makoto and I learned that you were abducted while we were on Uranus, but it seems now that you ran away."

The blonde senshi nodded, slowly gaining control of her emotions. "I needed to get away from him, from his rules and expectations. He hates that I don't conform to this feminine princess mold he has in his mind, but I am Uranian and I have to be myself, no matter who disapproves. After some of the things Serenity showed me from the day I was born, I'm glad I left."

"After what I did in order to fight in the Ganymede Invitational, how could I judge you for hiding your true self?" Jupiter turned to Mars and Venus, neither of whom had been surprised at Haruka's transformation. "How long have you two known?"

Venus blushed as she glanced at her partner. "She kind of gave herself away when we were talking about the Princess of Neptune. She told us that she knew that Michiru prefers stringed instruments, but no non-Neptunian has ever met her except us princesses at Serenity's Presentation. If you think about it, she gave herself away when she told us that she won the Invitational against the High Duchess of Callisto. The only Invitational where Duchess Rinae fought and lost was four years ago, when she took second place to Princess Haruka of Uranus. Rinae won the next year."

Jupiter snorted, nodding as she fiddled with the pink bow on the front of her uniform. "I should have caught that, since it's a contest hosted by my planet. At least now I know why I have been so comfortable around you. It's natural to trust your fellow senshi."

Uranus released Mars's and Mercury's hands, pushing herself to her feet as Serenity and the senshi also rose. "All of you make a good team, as you proved today, and I am happy to call you my friends. As for me, I have a different mission, and I have to find the truth of this vision I have seen before the meeting on Titan. I will think about what you said, but I don't think there is some great, destined love in my future."

"I hope you're wrong," Serenity whispered, pulling her guardians away from Uranus as she sensed what the Wind Senshi was planning. "Good luck."

Haruka raised her gloved hand to the sky, calling on her power as a tornado of wind surrounded her form. Moments later, she was gone. "Where did she go, Princess?"

"She has a mission, Mars. The senshi of the Outer Planets are often secretive when there is a threat to the Silver Millennium, but I promise you that she will return."

Setsuna stared at the Time Knot floating in the air before her, garnet eyes flicking between two points that seemed to be changing. One part of the knot was golden, glowing with an inner light that seemed to depict a senshi, while another part was a bright aqua color. The aqua color seemed to darken for a moment before that part of the knot quieted, but the golden part compressed in on itself as the Senshi of Time watched. Other threads of the knot brightened in response to the darkness of the golden strand, but their actions didn't seem to have any effect. Setsuna reached out and pulled the golden knot free of the larger tangled mess, staring at the angrily pulsing strand between her fingers.

"Haruka," she sighed, her free hand tightening on the Time Staff. "I can't tell if you're going to destroy this world or save it, but you can't do it on your own. I hope you can find what you're looking for before you self-destruct."

"Majesty?" Setsuna released the knot, turning to look at the young servant kneeling at the base of her throne as she gestured for him to speak. "King Koshu of Uranus is here, requesting an audience with your magnificence." From the tone of the servant's voice, it was obvious that Koshu had demanded an audience, rather than requesting.

Setsuna sighed and stood, her customary black dress having been exchanged for a simpler dark garnet one. Resting her staff against her throne, the dark queen descended to the floor and waited patiently for the King of Uranus to enter the chamber. Her mind flicked to the meeting of the War Queens the day Kazeko died, remembering how pivotal she had been in convincing those ten very powerful Uranian women that they should keep Kazeko's husband and King-Regent until Haruka came of age. From the recent reports she had received from Oberon, it seemed that they were beginning to doubt that decision.

Koshu thundered into the room, his boots thudding even through the thick carpet, his dark blonde hair as wild and untamed as his daughter's had been the last time Setsuna had seen her. "You're looking more and more like a Uranian every day," Setsuna observed, her words cold and hard. She was not in the mood to deal with the agitated king when there was a darkness threatening the Silver Millennium.

"Where did she go? You sent Kazeko off to explore this system decades ago; you must have stolen the Space Sword and told Haruka to do the same. Where is my daughter?"

"I honestly don't think I've heard you use that word in over twenty years."

"What?" He was caught off-guard by her words, though his anger did not abate.

"Daughter. You've never called that child your daughter."

"What does it matter what I call her? Where did you send her?"

Setsuna narrowed her garnet eyes as she took a step closer to the irate blonde king, her servants scattering toward the exits as they sensed the onset of their queen's anger. "You dare storm into my throne room and ask where I sent the child you have neglected despite my warning fourteen years ago? You chose a fine time to start to care about the welfare of Kazeko's daughter."

"Setsuna, I demand—"

"You demand?!" Setsuna's sharp words silenced the king as she strode over to her raised throne and grabbed the physical manifestation of the time knot. Holding it carefully in her hand, she tossed it to Koshu, the shocked Uranian King watching it float above his outstretched palms. "Do you see that? That is the end of us all. If I cannot unravel that time knot, everything you know and love will perish. Your daughter is an integral part of this future you see. I can't tell what part she will play, but she is out where she belongs, out among the planets. She will return when she is supposed to."

"I don't care about your premonitions of destruction . . ."

"You should." Setsuna leaned out and grabbed Koshu's collar with one hand, black power sparking around her slender form as the knot fell out of his hands and floated back to hover above its data pad beside Setsuna's throne. "And you may currently be the King of Uranus," she whispered, the threat in her voice making the man tremble, "but you were born a noble of my court and you will always show me the proper respect. If you ever speak to me in that tone of voice again, I will end your pathetic little existence. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Majesty," Koshu whispered shakily, falling to his knees when Setsuna released him. Without daring to look into Setsuna's eyes again, Koshu fled the throne room, leaving the Queen of Pluto alone in her great hall.

"Someone is getting tired of living among mortals."

"Not tired of them, Aph," Setsuna whispered, "just weary of their arrogance. Koshu has always been wild and a bit of a troublemaker, which is why I paired him with Kazeko in the first place. She kept him in line."

"Oh, you're a matchmaker now?" Setsuna turned to glare at her visitor, the Goddess of Love sitting comfortably in the air above Pluto's throne.

"That's a new look."

Aphrodite ran one hand across the soft satin of her heavily embroidered red dress, possibly the first thing she had worn in centuries that actually covered most of her body. The neckline was modest for the goddess, the sleeves reached her elbows, and the skirt hung to her feet. "Ares took me to a party in the Antares system. The gods there have a different fashion than we do, so I borrowed one of their dresses. It's actually quite elegant, covering up your body like this."

Setsuna rolled her eyes and checked on her holographic time knot, making sure it had returned correctly to its base on the stand next to her throne. "The rest of us do it all the time. Why are you here?"

"Oh, I just wanted to watch you vent your frustration on that mortal father of Haruka's. I've been watching her enjoy her time on the Moon."

"Oh, is that where she went?"

"Yes. She left, though, and none of us followed her." Aphrodite tilted her head as she considered her next words. "She's in a lot of pain, Se, as the daughters of Uranus often are. Will she be alright?"

"Kazeko went through something similar when she was young." Setsuna reached up and touched the edge of Aphrodite's invisible chair, pushing it aside so she could return to her throne. The Goddess of Love growled in mock irritation, silencing at the odd light in Setsuna's eyes. "I have been here too long."

"You've been mortal over a hundred years this time," Aphrodite agreed, remembering that dark, lonely timbre in Setsuna's voice. It was hard for a god to live as a mortal, and she had done it more than a dozen times. "Will you return to Olympus soon?"

"I fear that I will never set foot there again," Setsuna whispered. "I have put off many things in my life for too long, and I find that I do not want to do them. I do not want to get married and birth an heir, even though I have done it so many times already. Now, looking at this time knot, I wonder if that choice has been taken from me. I have to go see this disturbance for myself, Aph. I can't put it off any longer."

"Let me go with you. You shouldn't go into the Time Stream alone." Se was the only god with the power to walk the Time Stream without losing her way, but the rest of the Pantheon often wondered if the burden of her duty might one day break her.

Setsuna stood from her throne, transforming into Sailor Pluto as she held her Time Key before her. Aphrodite stepped down from her floating invisible chair and joined Setsuna in front of the throne. "I'm always alone, Aph," Setsuna whispered as she used her power to open the Gates of Time.

Haruka opened her eyes slowly, not sure why she had been asleep. Groaning, she pushed herself to her knees, burying her fingers in the pale blue sand beneath her and raising one hand to brush the blue particles off her cheek. This sand was softer than any she had experienced so far, and the color was odd. To her left, waves pounded against the sandy shore, an artificial sun sitting low on the horizon. "I must be pretty far from the Moon," she mused, rising to her feet and brushing the last of the sand from her suit.

"You certainly are."

Haruka spun at the voice, shocked emerald eyes meeting the amused teal ones of the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Haruka's eyes took in the porcelain skin and long, aqua hair of her companion as the elegant woman watched her patiently. People from her world tended to have sun-tanned skin, always scarred from a lifetime of fighting and the desert, and there were very few worlds that could boast a woman that had clearly never seen violence of any kind. "Is this Neptune?"

The other woman giggled and pointed across the sea. "No, that's Neptune." Haruka glanced up at the blue gas giant sitting serenely on the horizon, sighing at the aqua-haired woman's literal response to her question. "This is Triton."

"You know what I meant."

"Hmm, I'm sure I did. It's not often I find strangers on my private beach." The woman took the edges of her knee-length skirt in her hands, dropping into a perfect curtsy as she smiled at her surprise guest. "I am Princess Michiru of Neptune. Who are you?"

"K-Kazemaru, child of the High Duke of Umbriel," Haruka managed, unable to form a coherent thought in the unexpected presence of the princess she had wanted to meet again for fourteen years. The girl she had spoken to on the Moon years earlier had been well-mannered and pretty, but the adult version was gorgeous and elegant with a refined air of maturity that made her seem older than Haruka.

Michiru raised one hand to her mouth as she chuckled, something so incredibly feminine about the action that Haruka started. "You speak in riddles! The High Duke of Umbriel is not a real position in the Uranian Royal Court. That was the honorary title given to the mysterious dark goddess who impregnated War Queen Lasuriya of Oberon and fathered Kazeko, the first Queen and Senshi of your world who united all of the War Queens and Moons of Uranus, a thousand years before the coalition between the worlds was codified into the Silver Millennium under the newly-crowned Queen Serenity. All you are saying is that you are a child of the royal line."

"Well, it worked on the other princesses." Haruka had to admit that she was supremely impressed. Not only was Michiru familiar with the early history of Uranus, she had also read the original Ancient Oberonian Sagas that identified the High Duke of Umbriel as a goddess, despite the fact that she fathered the first Queen of Uranus. Every off-world translation claimed that the High Duke had been a male god. It seemed that Haruka had finally met her match.

"Is that so? Do they also know that Kazemaru, which means Perfect Wind in the High Mirandan dialect, is a coveted title bestowed on the finest warriors of your world, and is, therefore, not your name?"

Haruka grinned, already liking this princess. "Well, they do know that it isn't my name, though I was granted the title Kazemaru by my father four years ago when I won the Ganymede Invitational Tournament. The princesses certainly did not know the meaning of my introduction."

"Then what is your real name?"

"Haruka." There was no reason to lie, especially since Michiru was destined to stand with her against the coming darkness as Sailor Neptune. They might as well start their partnership off on solid footing.

Michiru's eyes widened as she took a step forward, one hand held to her chest. "I met a Haruka of Uranus once. Are you her, the princess who plays the piano?"

"Yes."

"Oh, this is wonderful! I've been hoping that someday I would meet you so we could play together." Something about Michiru's suggestive inflection on the word "play" made Haruka blush, the Neptunian laughing at her companion's reaction.

"What is it with people remembering words I said as a child fourteen years ago?"

"Don't you want to play with me?" Now she was definitely flirting. Haruka stepped forward and took Michiru's hand in hers, eyes dark green with desire, faint flecks of gold swirling through their depths.

"You should be careful of the words you speak to a Uranian. You might not like my reaction, princess." She kept her husky voice low, determined to show the aqua-haired Neptunian that she was the better flirt.

"Then again, I might." Michiru slipped free of Haruka's grasp, heading away from the beach and toward a massive castle that dominated the eastern horizon. "You probably want to follow me," she called over her shoulder.

Haruka sighed and followed the aqua-haired woman who clearly possessed the ability to resist her best sexy voice. She had a strange feeling that her solitary life was about to change forever.

"I must admit, I was surprised to find you on my beach this afternoon."

"I was surprised to be there," Haruka admitted as she sipped the fruity drink Michiru had provided. It was a little sweet for her palette, but not bed. "How long was I laying out there on the beach?"

"Hours. I noticed you early this afternoon but I think you had been there for a little while by then. I watched you for about two hours after that. How did you get there?"

"Senshi have the ability to teleport themselves from one place to another." Haruka poked at the food on her plate as she tried to remember what she was thinking about when she vanished from the Moon. "I think that coming this far sapped all of my strength. I've never gone further than two or three planets at a time before."

"Why did you come here?" Unlike Haruka, Michiru had finished her food at a steady pace, cleaning her plate while giving the impression that she had not eaten much at all. Her utensils sat patiently on the edge of her napkin, but she did not pressure her guest to stop playing with her food. It was clear that the princess usually ate alone, without the company of family or friends, and she was greatly enjoying the Uranian's company.

"Many reasons. One, I have wanted to see you again since we were children. What you said to me that day stuck in my mind. My father told me years ago that he and I were not welcome on Triton, so I have never come before."

"You're here now because my mother is at Kazeko's grave."

Haruka nodded. "The Mourning of Queen Kazeko lasts for two weeks on Oberon. From what Princess Serenity said to me, I suppose that Shousha stays for the entire event. I have never attended the full event, only the first day, but I have seen her attend every year. This year, I don't think my father is even present; he's out in the Solar System somewhere searching for me. It'd be the first time in years that he has cared about my well-being in the slightest." Haruka's last words were bitter, but tinged with a weary acceptance. Michiru thought it would be best not to delve into the causes of the rift between father and daughter.

"What was your second reason?"

"I learned that you knighted Taichen Laira for her role in Winds of Uranus. You have good taste in movies and even better taste in women." Haruka hadn't meant for the last bit to come across flirtatiously, but from Michiru's blush it had been received that way.

"You think so? She was a lot like you, Princess Haruka."

"Really? In what way? And if it was just because she has blonde hair and green eyes, that isn't enough. She's from Titania, where those traits are common."

"It wasn't her looks. She had your personality. She did not stop flirting with me the entire time she was on Triton." Michiru blushed at the memory of the actress cornering her after the party celebrating her new Knighthood.

Haruka chuckled as she placed her fork on her plate. "Yes, that sounds like her. Most of my people are harsh warriors, since we are trained to that from birth, but there are a few exceptions, like Laira."

"And like you?" Michiru stood from the table, holding her hand out to Haruka. The Uranian joined the other princess as she left the table, Michiru taking a seat on a nearby couch. She looked up at Haruka expectantly, patting the cushion beside her, and the blonde reluctantly sat down.

"Michiru, there is a third reason I came."

The Neptunian princess turned away, her teal eyes dark. "My visions."

"Yes." Haruka rested her hand on the hilt of sword, sighing as her green eyes swirled with gray. "There is a darkness coming that could be powerful enough to swallow the Silver Millennium. I believe that Saturn is awakening to combat it."

"No!"

"As senshi of the Outer System, we have to stop it."

"I'm not a senshi." Michiru's voice was soft as she stared at her hands, wishing that she could answer the blonde differently. More than anything, she wanted to be with Haruka, but she had still not received her henshin stick.

She looked up as Haruka took her hand, surprised at how close those emerald eyes were to her. "Your mother certainly isn't," the blonde whispered. "Who does that leave?"

"I don't have my henshin stick."

"You're still my Sailor Neptune."

Michiru blushed at the intensity in Haruka's voice. "Is this battle in my premonitions the true reason you came here now?"

Haruka reached up and ran her fingers through Michiru's aqua hair, smiling gently at the younger woman. "No. It's the reason I had to come here now. I've wanted to come ever since I met you on the Moon that day."

Michiru leaned into Haruka's hand, her eyes softening. "I'm glad." Haruka stood from the couch, releasing Michiru as she walked to the other side of the room. "Why are you pulling away?"

Haruka stared out into the darkness, stars twinkling in the night sky while blue Neptune floated on the horizon. She remembered from her studies that Triton always faced the gas giant, even as the Moon always faced the Earth. "I have been given a mission to protect the Silver Millennium. While I was on the Moon, I forgot myself for a while, but I cannot afford to relax now. I have to find a way to help you get your henshin stick so we can locate the source of our premonitions and save this kingdom. You understand why it has to be this way."

Michiru smiled gently as she stood, joining Haruka by the window and resting one hand on the taller woman's shoulder. "As much as I don't like your answer, I understand. I've waited my whole life for you to come here, Uranus Haruka, and I can wait until this evil is vanquished to be with you. Even if it is because of the battles we must fight, I will be happy just to stand by your side."

Haruka smiled and wrapped one arm around the slender princess, holding her close as they watched the stars cross the sky.

AN2: I had fun doing research on the orbit of Triton for this one. Apparently it always faces Neptune, just like the Moon always faces Earth. Also, there is no "dark side" of the Moon. A day lasts 14 Earth days there, but both faces receive light and dark. Since the days are so long, any "night" mentioned in this chapter or the previous ones are artificial and controlled by the same system and domes that let the Moon have an atmosphere. Also, writing Haruka lose her temper was fun. I hope the scene came across the way I envisioned it, but you will tell me if it didn't ^.^

LowRider: thanks =) I'm glad you are enjoying it

Leena37: thanks for pointing out the 2 mistakes. The Silver Millennium one had originally been "kingdom" but when I went to change it apparently I forgot a word. This sometimes happens when I write something so quickly and want to post it for you all. In the second, own was supposed to be on. Gomen. But as for the third one, I think you need to try saying your sentences out loud to get a feel for the flow. "Mars's has a hard 's' followed by a 'z' sound and it is incredibly harsh pair of sounds in the middle of a sentence. Unless I can't avoid it (like when Mars, Venus, and Uranus are in senshi form and I need to use a possessive) I don't use s-possessives. The original sentence flows better than your suggestion. I'm glad you are reading and thanks for catching those two mistakes. Usually I read through my chapters about 5 times before I post to correct things like that, but I was in a hurry with chapter 9.

Electra Red: I'm glad I've convinced another MichiRuka fan to like MinaRei. And I was hoping for Neptune last chapter, but after writing this one it's obvious why that wasn't going to happen. But yay, Michiru and Haruka finally meet! And, as you can see, between Haruka and Michiru, the Neptunian is flirting the most, which matches with what Haruka said to the girls last chapter.

petiyaka: Haruka likes to think that she is an average Uranian, but as you can see with her comment here, Uranians that embrace the arts or anything else in addition to the war they practice, tend to be different. In her case, and in Laira's, they tend to be very sensual. But Michiru can make even Haruka blush. And now that everything has been revealed, you can see that the princesses don't quite understand why they are comfortable with Haruka, but it is because she is a fellow senshi, and somewhere deep down they know that.

Neptune's Lover: Haruka in the anime seems like she is afraid of loving Michiru in season 3. I've chosen to take that and explain it here through her Uranian heritage and the death of her mother. No one has ever given her love, so she doesn't know how to give it to anyone. Her relationship with Michiru is starting out as it did in the anime, as partners in a battle but not lovers. In the anime, her epiphany came when Eudial shot Michiru for her talisman, and in this fic she will have a similar epiphany when Michiru's life is endangered. I think you will like the scene I have planned.

As for the other senshi's achievements, I thought that it would be silly if only Rei and Minako were powerful princesses. Sure, their achievements are amazing, but they are achievements of passion and love, as is appropriate for them. Makoto's achievement is of force and Ami's of brains, which fit their personality. You also get to see Serenity wanting to make friends with her senshi, which was always her best trait in the anime & manga. I think the crybaby is more part of Usagi's personality, and since their past lives, there is no Usagi to get in the way of Serenity's maturity. I also use her to help Haruka grow as a person, something that is glaringly obvious in this chapter.

I posted chapter 9 so quickly because it was so easy to write. Everything flowed even though parts might have felt rushed, but I got to move along to the important trip to Earth and lead into this chapter with Haruka buckling under the pressure of changing into a Soldier of Love instead of just a soldier. I especially liked having Makoto come to her for advice about Ami's sudden sensuality after being shy for so long, despite the fact that the Jovian told herself not to trust Haruka. Also, Haruka's mother is a major plot device that I used in the original story and decided to keep for this one. Michiru believing Haruka is a man I dropped, since I already played that angle with the Inner Senshi and Michiru should be more mature and able to see through Haruka's masculine appearance.

Meneldur: Yeah, I guessed it was your review on chapter 8. I'm glad you are enjoying the relationships between Haruka and the inner senshi. That part doesn't get explored as much in the anime since the Outers are aloof, but I wanted to have fun with it. Since Haruka, Makoto, and Rei are kind of the "guys" of the group, and they are all from war planets, it made sense that they would have strong bonds. I like possessive Rei, and so does Minako. Haruka is very gentlemanly in that regard; she might like flirting with Minako, but she won't do it because she respects Rei and the relationship between Rei and Minako. In return, Rei trusts her completely, even when she thinks Haruka is a man. Playboy Haruka is just something to amuse me, really, and I like for her to have that little bit of extra knowledge about the women of each planet to show that she is more mature and well-traveled than her friends.

The Ganymede Invitational is a plot device. I use it to show that Makoto is stubborn and gets what she wants, even if it means knocking her brother out and taking his place in an all-male tournament. I used it to let Haruka accidentally reveal herself, showing that part of her wants to be found out, since she says that she wasn't invited until after the rules were changed to allow women. She covers for it by pretending that she was talking about her opponent being a woman, but she meant herself. I also use it as the accomplishment that gained her the Kazemaru title (kaze is wind and maru is perfection with the kanji I intend for that title) that Michiru recognizes right away.

Haruka totally influenced the outcome of the Makoto/Ami relationship. She planned the training regimen to have physical training for the first two days so that Ami, who has fought the least of the four women, would be too tired to do anything with Makoto. The third day she taught battles concerning soul mates and the full-power crystals the senshi used to have, hoping that something in her lesson would push Makoto over the edge. After Rei and Minako discover her identity, she doesn't outright tell Makoto and Ami because she isn't good at confessing, so they don't find out until this chapter when Serenity forces Haruka to transform.

The Mourning of Queen Kazeko lasts two weeks. Setsuna hinted at that when she told Shousha to get on a ship to Titan after her business on Oberon was concluded. Why would she want her to show up three weeks early? Haruka instantly understood that Shousha stayed for the whole event when Serenity mentioned it. And she wasn't surprised that Serenity knew her birthday, just that Serenity referred to it as the day of Haruka's birth and not the day of Kazeko's death. She has never celebrated her birthday.

Haruka gets interrupted while she is recounting her love experiences with members of the various races. She might have gotten to the other planets, but the chances of her liking the secretive Saturnians, quiet Plutonians, or rough Uranians is highly unlikely. She's never had a Lunarian lover, or she would know how to deal with the princess. As you can see, Serenity surprises Haruka on many occasions, especially when she talks about love and soul mates. Unfortunately for Haruka, after accepting that perhaps she could love and be loved, Serenity pushes her to a breaking point regarding the subject, and she closes in on herself again. It's always her place to show Haruka the value of love and friendship, and eventually her lesson will help.